You could spend an entire lifetime learning how to win at poker. In fact, some of the most successful players in the world have done just that. True mastery of any skill requires a lifelong process of instruction, practice and repetition; and poker is no different.
I can't teach you to win at poker in a few minutes - anyone who says they can is really misleading you. What I can do, however, is give you some of the most broad, basic truths about the game. Use these tips as a solid foundation on which, with practice and study, you can begin to build a solid winning game.
Only play solid starting hands.
The literature on this topic will differ slightly, but any poker player worth his salt will tell you that a winning game starts with being very selective before the flop. Generally, if you are playing more than 20% of all hands, you are playing too loose.
Stick with premium pairs and high suited connectors and don't go into a hand as an underdog by playing junk. One of the best ways to learn some discipline is to start practicing with freerolls. There are a number of sites that offer a good selection of freerolls and it's the perfect way for a beginner to learn.
Learn to calculate odds and outs.
This seems pretty basic, but you'd be surprised at the number of supposedly "serious" players who don't have a good grasp of poker concepts such as pot odds, implied odds, and counting outs. Before you have any hope of winning on a consistent basis, you need to be able to quickly calculate what the odds of improving your hand are and what are the odds the pot is giving you. This is not as complicated as some make it seem, but it does take a bit of practice. Find a good book on the topic and study it carefully.
If the flop misses you, get out.
Again, pretty simple but often overlooked. Many players are tempted to keep calling after a flop that hasn't helped them in the hopes of hitting that one miracle card or improving on the turn or river. Don't give in to this temptation! Those seemingly harmless calls on the flop can add up over time to big losses. Have discipline and don't chase a miracle card when you are clearly an underdog. Fold and live to play another hand.
Large pots with big hands, small pots with small hands.
This is a more general piece of advice that many players would do well to keep in mind for their overall game. Broadly speaking, you want a pot to be very large when you have a great hand and small when you're hand is not very good. While this may seem obvious, you will frequently see players playing for a huge pot late in a hand with Ace high or a small pair.
Weak hands such as these are rarely strong enough to win a large pot with many players - if the pot has gotten large with many raises and calls you are likely already beaten.
